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Hampden "Woolworth"

I picked up an exceedingly nice Hampden 15j, 18s Woolworth, pendent wind, lever set, hunter case, gilt movement, with original dial, hands and case this week. The key wind version shows up in the Hampden book and the Shugart price guide, but not the pendent wind version. I've been given to believe that some of these Woolworth grade watches may have been made from parts acquired in the New York Watch Co. buyout. Anyone know more about the Woolworth grade generally and the pendent wind version specifically?

Also, I notice that some of the key wind versions state the grade as "Chester Woolworth." Anyone know who Chester Woolworth was?

The model 2 is a pendant wind Hampden, as opposed to the Model 1 Keywind.

Nice watch movement and I currently am carrying all Hampden Woolworth'sn as 15 J, in a mix of model 1 and model 2/OF and Hunter. We are talking 1880's here, so they did not get too much better than that at this time period.

The Hampden Watch Book most certainly, in the serial number listings list ,Model 2 Woolworths.

Now I may be wrong on this, but if I remember Mr. Woolworth was affliated with the NY Springfield watch company, and Hampden carried over his name as a watch grade.

Attached is the current 149 CHapter entry for this serial, and I have also included a supplemental attachment of the estimated runs for the Model 2 Woolworth that are currently in the database.

Yes, I should have mentioned that the serial is covered in the Hampden book with the correct notation. No photo, though.

Thanks for the background info. The seller bought the watch in the UK and brought it to Canada before selling it to me. He thought Woolworth was a private label (as in 'sold at Woolworth's') but I knew that wasn't right.

Looks like mine was part of a very short run. Just 55. Long shot, but I wonder if these 55 were for export. Just thinking out loud...

Here are the seller's pictures, by the way. I'll post some better shots when I get my tabletop studio set back up later this month. I've had it in hand for about five days now and it's lost exactly 6 seconds. Amazingly accurate considering it's 129 years old. Clearly the previous owner(s) either didn't use it much or kept it in pristine shape. It's a new highlight of my Hampden collection.

I picked up an exceedingly nice Hampden 15j, 18s Woolworth, pendent wind, lever set, hunter case, gilt movement, with original dial, hands and case this week. The key wind version shows up in the Hampden book and the Shugart price guide, but not the pendent wind version. I've been given to believe that some of these Woolworth grade watches may have been made from parts acquired in the New York Watch Co. buyout. Anyone know more about the Woolworth grade generally and the pendent wind version specifically?

Also, I notice that some of the key wind versions state the grade as "Chester Woolworth." Anyone know who Chester Woolworth was?

Oh, and the serial is 128,510

Chester Woolworth was a shop in, er, Chester. It closed down years ago.
LOL @ naming a grade of pocket watches after it.